India begin Asian Games gold-medal defence against Japan in women’s cricket

Nagoya: India will have a busy day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Friday, with action across cricket, soft tennis and teqball.

The day begins with the Indian men's soft tennis team taking on Laos in Group C, followed by matches against Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. In teqball, Indian athletes will also be in action in women's singles and mixed doubles events through the morning and afternoon.

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The main focus will be on the Indian women's cricket quarter-final against hosts Japan. Led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the defending Asian Games champions will begin their gold-medal defence in a straight knockout fixture at Korogi Athletic Park.

India head into the Asian Games on the back of a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, having defeated Sri Lanka in the final last week, while Japan will be appearing in the Asian Games cricket competition for the third time.

Ranked third in the T20I standings, India are the highest-ranked side in the eight-team women's competition and will enter the tournament as one of the leading contenders for the title. The match against Japan will also mark the first-ever meeting between the two sides.

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Meanwhile, Japan face a tough challenge against a strong Indian side. Ranked 39th in the women's T20I team rankings, Japan will be making their third appearance in cricket at the Asian Games.

Their best finish in women's cricket at the Asian Games came in 2010, when they won the bronze medal. This year's competition is being played in a straight knockout format, leaving little room for error.